The Third Flame
by Cheerfully Blue
Summary: Where the Okumura twins are turned into the Okumura triplets. Kazuki Okumura knows her place in life. Having spent her youth becoming a teenage delinquent with her brother Rin, she wants nothing more than to support Yukio as he makes his dreams become a reality. But as Yukio's departure for True Cross Academy approaches, events begin to unfold in a flood of blue flames.
1. Beginnings

**Hello! I humbly greet thee!**

 **Having recently finished my university finals, I have been spending a stupid amount of time on Netflix (a joyous affliction, I must say). A few days ago I stumbled upon Blue Exorcist and I was hooked. I blew through the series in under 24 hours. And that's including a good 12 hour bout of unconsciousness. My creative juices started flowing immediately, thus we have our story.**

 **A few things before we get started: 1) I am still reading the manga. In a not so legal on-line way. I'm trying to stay away from major spoilers, so be aware that I have a limited amount of knowledge over the series. 2) I'm a failure at Japanese culture. I don't know much about it. I hate to admit it. If I offend anyone, please let me know in a constructive way and I will do my best to correct myself.**

 **Now please! Go forth and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **Beginnings**

"Rin got fired again."

Kazuki heaved a sigh that came from the depths of her very put upon soul. She turned and gave Yukio a dry look. "And? What do you want me to do about that?"

Her little brother stood in the doorway to her room clutching a first aid kit in his hands. She raised an eyebrow at it.

"He also got in fight."

Cue another sigh.

"Please, Kazuki. I'm leaving for the Academy tomorrow. Someone's got to talk some sense into him. He always listens to you more than me."

She could never tell him no when he looked at her with those pleading eyes. And he knew it, too. Damn four-eyed bastard.

"I don't know what miracles you expect me to work," she told him as they made their way to the monastery kitchen. "I'm only marginally less of a screw up than him. I'm not what you would call a role-model."

"You understand him better. I…I worry for him." He wouldn't meet her eyes "And you."

Kazuki's heart warmed at her little brother's admission. Truth was, she was a little worried about her and Rin as well. The two of them had always been the troublemakers of the triplets, quick to resort to violence and anger. They had managed to channel some of it over the years, instead of lashing out at everything and everyone, they focused it on protecting Yukio from anyone who wanted to harm their little brother. But as Yukio became more independent, lately Rin and Kazuki both were floundering in a sea of their anger. What would happen once Yukio left them behind?

Clenching her fists at the thought, Kazuki immediately pulled her brother into a headlock.

" _Hey_!"

"You worry too much, lil' bro." She dug her knuckles into his scalp and ruined his perfect hairdo, laughing as he squirmed. "We'll be fine. Worry more about becoming a doctor."

He pushed her away with more force than she was expecting, causing her to stumble. She caught a glimpse of anger in his eyes and Kazuki wondered if maybe now wasn't the time to tease him. She was uncomfortably aware of how little time they had left together.

He made sure she wasn't going to fall before they continued walking. She took the silent apology for what it was.

"You know he never fights without a good reason," she murmured quietly.

"Is there ever a good reason for him to fight?" Yukio asked bitterly.

A scowl formed on her face. "Yes, there is."

"I stopped needing to be protected a long time ago, Kazuki," Yukio murmured. "And yet the two of you keep getting into fights. If I no longer need protecting, then why do you keep fighting?"

Pursing her lips, Kazuki looked away, trying not to think about the scraped knuckles that had finally healed from a scuffle she had gotten in a few days before. She didn't bother trying to explain to Yukio that a bunch of bullies had cornered a little kid behind the flower shop she worked at. He had stopped listening to her explanations a long time ago. Had stopped listening to her and Rin both.

Sometimes she wondered if maybe it was better that Yukio was leaving. At least they wouldn't have to live with seeing their younger brother's disappointment in them every day.

* * *

Kazuki sat off to the side as Yukio bandaged Rin's busted hands.

"So I guess this is the last time you'll be patching me up," Rin commented sadly, a fond smile on his face. Kazuki's heart clinched at the words. Yukio's departure was hitting the oldest triplet the worst. But almost instantly Rin was all smiles, gushing over Yukio and his dreams of being a doctor. Maybe the two oldest triplets didn't have their life together, but damn were they proud that their youngest was making something of himself.

"Rin, I'm worried," Yukio confessed to his brother, glancing a Kazuki too. "And it's not just me. Dad's worried too, and so is everyone else here. You're getting into fights every day, and you can't seem to hold a part time job very long."

Rin instantly deflated, the proud older brother vanishing in a wave of sadness. He looked away from Yukio. "Look, I'm really stressed by all that, too. I know I gotta pull it together, and fast, but I…" he trailed off. Rin hesitantly glanced at her, their eyes meeting. In her mind's eye, Kazuki saw a group of rowdy well-to-do teens, dead birds, and felt a rage that wasn't her own take over from there.

Rin's eyes held a question in them. She gave him a small nod, letting him know that she had seen what had transpired. No need to bother Yukio with it. At least he knew that Kazuki believed him.

"You're trying," Kazuki told him, holding his gaze. She then gave Yukio a hard glare. "We both are. That's enough for now."

Yukio at least had the sense to look sheepish. The corners of her mouth turned upwards. Damn Four-Eyes, thinking he could play at being an older sibling. She reached over and ruffled his hair as payment for his insubordination.

"Rin!" a Maruta yelled, causing them all to jump. "We got you an interview at the Southern Cross Shopping Mall!"

* * *

Kazuki roared with laughter at her older brother. Stuffed in a suit a little too big for him and slowly choking himself with a necktie, Rin looked the definition misery.

"How the hell are you supposed to tie this?" Rin cried, having since knotted the necktie in such a way that he was now resorting to trying to pull it off over his head so he could resume breathing. Another wave a giggles overtook her and he shot her a glare. "Make yourself useful or piss off!"

"Yessir," she snickered, turning to waltz out the door.

"Wait! You weren't supposed to actually leave! Kazuki, help!" He stumbled after her, tripping over the dress shoes he was wearing as he did so. It was her fast reflexes that prevented him from ending up in a pile of limbs on the floor.

"Jeez, walk much?" She planted him back on his feet and straightened his jacket. He was still fumbling with the stupid ass tie. Rolling her eyes, she smacked him on the head and pushed his hands out of the way.

"Hey!" He gave her a glare that lacked heat and allowed her to slowly untangle him from the trap he had created. Once he was free he gave her a sheepish smile. "Thanks."

"Shut up." She threw the tie back at him, hitting him in the face with it and making him shriek.

Smirking, she wrestled him into the hallway bathroom and went to work on his godawful hair, trying to shape it into something a little more presentable than its usual mop using a wet comb. He squirmed the entire time.

"Will you stop _moving_?" Kazuki whacked him on the head.

"Will you stop yanking my hair out?" Rin shot back at her, trying to shield his head with his arms. "It never did anything to you!"

"I'm trying to make it look like you haven't been raised on the streets," she growled, twisting his arms out of the way, ignoring his shouts of pain, and resumed the battle on his hair.

Eventually, Rin figured out resistance was futile and took to moping as she finished.

"I don't know why you're bothering," he muttered unhappily. "It's not like I'm going to get the job anyways. No one wants to hire thug like me."

Kazuki sighed and ran her fingers through his dark blue hair. They shared the same hair color, the same unnatural navy blue that was so different from Yukio's brown. It was like a higher power had wanted to mark them as different from the beginning, one normal sibling and two blue-haired freaks. She met his eyes in the mirror, blue on blue.

"You don't know that," she told him, running her comb through his hair one last time. "This time will be different."

"How you know?" Rin asked.

She gave him a cocky grin in the mirror and slapped the comb down on the counter. "Woman's intuition."

Rin made a disgusted face and scrambled out of the bathroom. Kazuki rolled her eyes. Boys. Whoever plopped her down in a monastery was surely having a good laugh right about now.

"Good luck!" she yelled after him.

"Yeah, whatever," he called back, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

She looked up at the ceiling and glared at the higher being above that may or may not exist. Real or not, she would out-stubborn it until it gave her older brother a break for once in his life.

* * *

She ran into her father on his way back from the store. He was unloading groceries from the car.

"Hey, old man, need a hand?"

Her dad waved her over.

"How have you been today, Kazuki?"

She shrugged, grabbing fistfuls of grocery bags and hauling them out of the trunk. "Helped Yukio pack. Tried to make Rin look presentable for his interview."

Her dad snorted. "Did it work?"

"No, but at least I can say I tried." They dad shared a look before erupting into laughter.

She shouldered open the front door and made her way to the kitchen, placing the groceries on the table, her dad doing the same.

Kazuki paused and sniffed the air. "Oh, man, what is that smell?" She was not drooling. Definitely not drooling.

Her dad smirked and immediately hid a handful of bags behind his back, watching her closely. "Your dinner."

Suddenly excited, she took a step closer to him, sniffing as she went. He deftly took a step back. "I smell beef and… and…" her eyes did not start watering with excitement. They did not. "Is that sukiyaki?" she whispered, her eyes begging her old man not to tell her her nose was wrong.

"Damn, you're good!" her father laughed, pulling her into a hug. She used the proximity to try and make a grab for the food, but he was too fast and held it above her head. "I know I raised you right if you've developed a sniffer like that." He ignored her attempts to try and climb him in order to reach the food.

A bright burst of birdsong erupted above them and they both looked up to see a small fluffy white and black bird pecking at the bags of food.

"Fight Asuka! Win in the name of the fatherland!" Kazuki cheered the bird on.

Asuka let out a loud tweet in response and started pecking at her father's hands in earnest.

Her dad used the bird's distraction as a chance to push Kazuki away from him before turning to swat at the bird fluttering above him. "Damn bird, not you too. One miscreant is enough."

Asuka let out an offended chirp, flew down to land a sharp peck on his nose, and then landed primly on Kazuki's shoulder, tweeting grumpily.

Ignoring her father's curses as he rubbed his nose, Kazuki petted her feathered friend happily. "Good job, girl. You fought bravely." Asuka preened happily.

"Crazy bird," her father muttered, eyeing the little crow tit in case it decided to come back for more. "What have you been teaching that thing?"

Kazuki shielded her tiny Asuka from his judging gaze. "None of your business. Never reveal your secrets to thy enemy."

Her dad adopted a put-upon look. "Good know that I'm the enemy."

"When food is involved, everyone's the enemy. Especially in a house full of men," Kazuki informed her father gravely. He shook his head and laughed happily.

Placing the food on top of the fridge so he would at least notice when Kazuki tried to steal it, they began to put the groceries away. Asuka fluttered in the air and happily perched herself on the fridge beside the food, causing her dad to glare at the tiny tit. Kazuki nodded approvingly.

Asuka had been a surprise that Kazuki had stumbled upon when she was thirteen. She had been skipping school and wandering around the darker parts of town when her musing had been interrupted by frantic tweets. The sounds led her to a tiny baby bird, barely the size of thumb, sitting in what looked to be the remains of a fire. It had been screaming at the top of its tiny lungs as an old tom cat slowly approached it with dinner in mind.

Horrified at what she was witnessing, Kazuki scared the cat away and quickly began looking for the tiny bird's mom. With no nest in sight and the little thing trembling in a pile of ashes, she had quickly made her decision. Scooping the baby bird up, she took it home and secretly began to care for it. Asuka had been surprisingly intelligent and understood that if they didn't want to get caught, the tiny bird had to keep quiet. By the time the old man found out about Kazuki's pet, Asuka had been full-grown and wouldn't leave no matter how much he bitched.

She never knew what had happened to cause the tiny bird to end up on her own. But the pile of ash she had found Asuka in had held the burnt remains of feathers. Sometimes she wondered why her and Rin were the ones accused of being monsters.

"How's the flower shop treating you?" he dad asked casually. Kazuki let out a heartfelt groan. He gave her a dry look. "That bad, huh?"

"Of all the jobs to stick…" she grumbled as she practically threw instant noodles into the pantry.

The One Stop Flower Shop wasn't all that bad, if Kazuki was being honest. It was the people she had to deal with and the bright pink uniform she was forced to wear. "If I get one more love-sick moron walking into the shop saying they want something 'pretty' I'm going to gouge someone's eye out!" she hissed. "What the hell does pretty even mean? Roses? Lilies? One dozen? Two? Make up your damn mind before you ask me for it!"

Her dad eyed her. "You were definitely raised by men," he said quietly to himself.

She shot him a dirty look and chucked the rest of the instant noodles at his head.

The flower shop could be worse, Kazuki would admit that. Old lady Tsubuki ran the place and she didn't care if sometimes Kazuki needed to step outside to calm her head or if she consistently brought Asuka to work with her. In fact, she had started to enjoy working there up until about a week ago when she started to see weird things out of the corner of her eye. She never got a good look, but the shapes she saw were about the size of her hand, completely green, and always seemed to vanish into the flowers the moment she would try and glimpse them full on. She had seen them often enough to make her think she was going crazy.

"Hey, old man," she called.

"Hey, ungrateful brat."

She rolled her eyes, smirking to herself as she let a head of cabbage tumble into the vegetable drawer. "I think I need to get my eyes checked out."

"Because you've never seen someone as handsome as me?" She looked over her shoulder to find him grinning like an idiot in the middle of the kitchen.

"Dad jokes are unbecoming," she told him flatly.

After happily watching him deflate, she went back to her work and continued. "I keep seeing things out of the corner of my eye. That's a sign of bad eyesight right? Maybe I need glasses or something."

Instead of some joke about becoming the second four-eyed triplet like she was expecting, Kazuki instead got stunned silence. She quickly looked over her shoulder to find her dad studying her very seriously.

"Dad?" she asked, worried.

Her dad blinked at her, before cracking a grin, all trace of seriousness gone. "Yukio is going to feel so vindicated," he told her.

There it was.

"Oh, shut up."

"Dad, you're back." Kazuki looked up as Yukio walked in.

"Hey, kid. Make yourself useful and help unpack the groceries."

 **And stop!**

 **We're looking at this being the average length of each chapter, I think. I have a good bit written so far, but I have yet to divide them up into how I will post them.**

 **So a few things: Asuka! Kazuki's little crow tit! Background information: A crow tit is a general term used to describe a wide variety of small birds. Why am I telling you this? I really like Kpop. One of my favorite bands (BTS) did a song called Baepsae, also know as Crow Tit also known as Silver Spoon. It's a reference to a Korean proverb in which a stork (a bird with long legs) makes fun of a crow tit (a tiny little bird) by saying it's legs are short. This symbolizes someone born of privilege looking down on someone born of modest means. It's also recently been used to describe adults looking down on Millennials. The symbolism was too good to pass up, so Asuka become a crow tit. If you want to know what specific species, google pictures of Japanese long-tailed tit. It's the fluffiest bird you have ever seen. Also, the song is awesome. Give it a listen.**

 **This story is going to be a project. It's taken me three days to get the little bit I have written done. I love it and I have the whole summer ahead of me to work on it, so you don't have to worry about updates for a while.**

 **Let me know what you think and please keep in mind my handicap when it comes to the series and Japanese culture! I don't mind criticism, but I do mind rudeness.**

 **X Cheerfully Blue**


	2. Picking Up Speed

**Hello once again!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It was great to hear some feedback and encouragement!**

 **Starting now, I will be upd** **ating once a week. It will be on Saturday or Sunday, depending on when I get a chance to edit the chapter.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Picking Up Speed**

Rin was late to dinner. The dinner that was a joint celebration of his being hired and Yukio's send off. It became concerning to the point that Kazuki stopped thinking about the sukiyaki she wasn't eating and instead on her brother that wasn't present.

She and Yukio found him in a park close to the monastery they used to frequent at as kids.

"I thought we'd find you here," Yukio said as they approached the swing set Rin was slumped on.

"I'm missing sukiyaki for you," Kazuki told him flatly.

Yukio shot her a glare before turning to smiled at their brother. "C'mon, let's go home."

Rin didn't move. "I can't face anybody at home."

Yukio frowned. "Why not?"

Rin wilted even further on the swing. "I got fired." Kazuki closed her eyes in sympathy for her brother. "She said she didn't want a violent thug like me working at her store."

Yukio looked devastated, and after seeing him so happy for his big brother earlier in the day, this new development made it all the worse. He stared at his brother in shock before his face screwed up in anger. "What happened?" he demanded in an accusing tone.

Kazuki shot her younger brother a glare and then looked to Rin.

Blue eyes met blue and Kazuki saw a small little gremlin creature that she knows shouldn't exist but it was right before her eyes anyways, and suddenly it was leading a small child towards a disaster and she had to act quick or else the little girl would get hurt.

Heart pounding, she tore her eyes away from her bothers'. Catching her breath, she looked back into Rin's sad and pleading eyes. He was begging her to understand what he had saw, begging her to tell him he wasn't crazy, that it had been real. But she didn't know what it was he had seen and wasn't too convinced she wasn't going crazy as well.

"Oh, come on! Don't give me that crap!" Yukio snapped to whatever reply Rin had made during his exchange with her. "Everyone was so happy you finally found a job, Rin! So how could you?"

"Yukio!" she snapped. "Shut up!"

"No! I'm tired of listening to this. It happens every time and you always defend him. Why do you keep doing this, Rin?"

"Maybe I can't explain why!" Rin shot back angrily. "Maybe there are somethings you can't understand with that big brain of yours!"

Yukio looked shocked to be on the receiving end of their brother's anger and Rin deflated again. "Sorry," the elder murmured.

Kazuki glared at her younger brother until he looked properly shamed. "Sorry."

Not at all impressed with the exchange, she strode forward and pushed Rin off the swing, making him stumble to his feet. She then slapped Yukio on the back of the head with a moderate amount of force. "C'mon, let's go home," she order.

Sukiyaki was at stake, after all.

An uncomfortable meeting with the little girl Rin had saved at the super market and her father brought to light the little gremlin that Rin had seen. The tense way her dad held himself afterwards clearly showed that this information meant something to him. No amount of sukiyaki and laughter over Rin's grounding could dispel this from her mind.

Her dad knew something about what was going on.

When everyone had retired to their rooms for the evening, Kazuki sought out her father. She knocked lightly on his office door, knowing he was still awake since the light was still on.

"Come in."

Her father looked surprised to see her. "Is something wrong, Kazuki?"

She shut the door behind her and wouldn't meet his eyes. "Rin saw something today, kind of like the things I've been seeing out of the corner of my eye." Her dad stiffened and she honed in on it. "You know what it is, don't you?"

"How do you know what Rin saw today?" her dad asked.

 _He showed me. He looked into my eyes and showed me. Like he has been for a few weeks now._ "He told me after dinner."

Her father sighed, suddenly looking very old. This was a look he wore after overseeing funerals or when a well-liked family at the church suffered a tragedy.

"Dad?" she whispered desperately, because she suddenly understood that whatever this was, it was real and it was bad. "Am I going crazy?"

The strain on her father's face relaxed a bit and he opened his arms wide for her. She ran into his hug and trembled as he wrapped his arms around her. She hadn't sought comfort from him in such a way in years, not since she was little and would wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares of blue fire. His arms were just as comforting now as they had been all those years ago.

"No, my dear daughter, you are not crazy," he told her soothingly. "You're just… growing up."

"Something tells me this is different from the talk about boys and periods."

She could literally feel the face he pulled at this. He let out an obliging chuckle and patted her back. "I can't explain it to you yet. But I will soon." He pulled away and looked down at her. "Can you trust your old man until that time comes?"

She nodded, taking one more moment of comfort from the hug before backing away.

But before she could leave… "Is everything going to be okay?"

She didn't miss the strain on her dad's face. "I will always protect you," he promised her.

Reassured, Kazuki wished her dad good-night, knowing that he would tell her everything soon. Her dad never lied, so she knew she was safe.

* * *

The peace of the chapel that night was broken by the entrance of Fujimoto Shiro. The sound of wood moving over wood was heard as he opened the secret door beneath the tabernacle. His steps echoed as he descended into its hidden depths, a candle held aloft before him.

His journey ended with a key and a locked chest. With steady hands he turned the lock.

Inside the chest were twin katanas, one blue and one red. Though they were sheathed, smoke slowly curled from each, a result of the slow burning talismans that held their power in check.

It would seem they could be held no longer.

* * *

Kazuki awoke with a start, the memory of blue flames in her mind.

Shuddering lightly, she sat in her bed for a few moments to calm her beating heart. The conversation she had with her dad the night before must have rattled her more than she thought, causing her old nightmares to rear their ugly heads.

Shaking her head in disgust, she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to shower. It was stupidly early, having woken before even her alarm clock, but she wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. Might as well just head to the shop early.

Yukio was awake and eating breakfast in the kitchen when she wondered down.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

She grunted at him, disgusted at his morning habits.

She finally found the energy to speak halfway through her bowl of rice.

"When are you leaving?" she asked him, trying to make it sound innocent, but even she could hear the dread in her voice.

Yukio gave her a tight smile. "As soon as I'm done with breakfast. The boxes I sent over yesterday will be arriving this morning."

She nodded, continuing to eat her rice. She suddenly noticed the absence of the little white bird that she usually shared her meal with. "Do you know where Asuka is?" she asked her brother. Her little bird was not one to miss a meal.

"Oh yeah, she's with Dad." He stood and placed his empty dishes in the sink. "They seemed to be having a very serious discussion together."

And wasn't that just weird. Kazuki would be the first to tell you that Asuka was a ferociously intelligent bird, but sometimes her dad would talk to the little tit like it could actually understand everything he was saying. Long, drawn out, one-sided conversations that Asuka impressively listened to like she was taking in every word. Kazuki stopped questioning this weird practice a long time ago and just chalked it up to her dad's particular brand of crazy.

"Crazy old man," Kazuki muttered under her breath. She shoved the rest of her rice into her mouth before removing her dishes to the sink. "Guess this is it, lil' bro." She clapped a hand on Yukio's shoulder.

He gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

Kazuki looked away from him as her lips wobbled and her eyes stung. She was stronger than this, damn it! She was could get through this without breaking down….

"Oh, come here!" she cried, roughly pulling him into a hug. It didn't matter how tall the four-eyed idiot got, Yukio would always be her little brother. "You go show them who's boss at the prissy academy of yours, okay?" she told him. "If anyone picks on you just call me up and I'll kick their asses." Goddammit, a wad of rice must have gotten stuck in her throat. She tried swallowing it down without success.

Yukio's arms tightened around her and he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Good." She shoved him away from her, sniffling lightly and glaring at him in an effort to keep him from noticing the tears in her eyes. "It'll be nice to finally get a chance to breathe around here without your nerd ass crowding this place up."

Yukio gave her a dry look. She smirked at him, though it lacked her usual luster.

"Be good while I'm gone, Kazuki," he told her. "Don't make Dad worry. And watch out for Rin."

She waved him off. "Stop trying to be a big brother, Four-Eyes. I've got a good grip on things here; you don't have to worry."

Seemingly resigned to the fact that he will forever be taunted by his older sister, Yukio just gave her a bland smile.

She grabbed the pack that held her work uniform and Yukio walked her to the door. They paused at the threshold. This was it. Yukio would leave for True Cross Academy while she was at work and who knew when he would be back. Secretly, Kazuki hoped he would never come back. Yukio was made for better places than a monastery in a rough part of town, surrounded by his no-good brother and sister.

He waited for her to open the door, but she hesitated. "Yukio." He looked up at his name and she gave him a sad but serious smile. "You work hard at the Academy. Dad said you're first in your class." She ruffled his hair affectionately, drawing a smile out of him. "That's awesome. Rin and I are really proud of you. I know we pick on you a lot, but that's just who we are."

Damn, that lump of rice was back. When she saw the stunned look on his face she gave him a light shove. "Don't act like you don't know. I love you, lil' bro."

Oh good, it seemed Yukio also had a wad of rice stuck in his throat. "I…" he swallowed, his eyes a little bright. "Thanks, sis. I love you, too."

She clapped him on the shoulder. "You were always the best of us," she told him honestly. "Don't waste it."

Yukio blinked at her in disbelief. "I-I won't," he promised.

Enough touchy-feely to last her a lifetime, Kazuki immediately smirked at him. "'Course you won't, Four-Eyes. Cuz if you did then you'd have to deal with me!"

Laughing at his unimpressed face, she opened the door and took a step outside, where her laughter immediately died in her throat.

Floating around in the air like a bunch of tiny little balloons were hundreds of cat-like creatures.

"What the…" she looked around her in horror, terrified at what she was seeing.

"Kazuki? What's wrong?"

Yukio's voice brought her back to herself. She glanced back at where he was standing in the doorway, his face concerned, but not horrified. So he couldn't see the little bug-like creatures that floated around them. Her dad's voice came back to her, promising to protect her and tell her everything when the time was right. She trusted him. He would never steer her wrong.

She gave Yukio an abashed smile. "N-nothing! It's just," she gestured at the sun rising above the buildings, "the sun is so pretty. I bet the Academy can't beat that."

Yukio's concern melted easily into a fond smile. "Yeah, I bet you're right."

She made herself put a hand on her hip and give him a sassy look she wasn't feeling. "I'm always right."

Yukio rolled his eyes. "Bye Kazuki."

"Bye Yukio." As soon as the door was closed, she slowly turned back to look at the swarm around her. " _Shiiiiiiiiiit_ ," she moaned.

She _hated_ bugs.

* * *

Where the hell was Asuka?

The little bird had accompanied her to work every day for weeks now, and on today of all days, Kazuki needed the little tit's calming presence the most.

The bugs were everywhere, particular in the shadier parts of town. It was a good thing she woke up early, because she skittered about so much in an effort to avoid the cat-bugs she almost arrived late.

At least the cat-bugs stayed outside.

Unfortunately, the little green creatures she had been seeing out of the corner of her eyes for the past week were walking around inside the shop. They cooed at each other and climbed all over the flowers, sometimes even going so far as to climb on her. The first time this had happened, she shrieked, sending the tiny green thing in her hair flying into a bucket of moss. It had let out a burst of laughter, apparently enjoying the ride.

By the time the work day ended, Kazuki was one good scare away from a breakdown that would undoubtedly leave something broken. She needed to talk to her dad.

On her way home she ran into Rin.

She heard his shouting from under the overpass and came running. He was being held down by three guys. "Rin!" she shouted, immediately running into the fray.

"Oh look, the Okumura bitch decided to join us boys. Get her!"

Kazuki looked for the face that had dared to call her a bitch and immediately felt her blood run cold. Shiratori, the boy Rin had beaten up the day before, was standing over her brother. He had grown rams horns and fangs and the cat-bug were amassing around him like a demonic swarm. "What the _fuck_?" she shrieked in horror.

Her surprise caused her to be caught off guard when more of Shiratori's goons jumped out of the woodwork and pulled her to the ground beside Rin. She struggled without success, wondering why the boys holding her down weren't screaming in fear. Why weren't they reacting to their friend's distorted appearance? Could they not see it?

Her eyes frantically looked for her brother's. His fear told her what she needed to know. He could see it, too. What was _happening_?

"I'm going to give you back twice the pain that you caused me!" Shiratori declared, grabbing a burning crow bar and approaching her brother. "And when I'm done, I'm going to have some fun with your sister."

Rin struggled against his captors as Shiratori waved the glowing crow bar in his face.

Heart in her throat, Kazuki tried to throw off the boys that were holding her down. "Rin!" she yelled, as the crow bar moved closer to her brother. "Rin!"

"Shut up!" Shiratori yelled at her, kicking her in the face, causing her head to snap back and blood to fill her mouth. "Your turn will come, bitch." He looked back at her brother. "Now, where should I start? Your nose? Your mouth? Maybe your eyes?"

A hand over her mouth kept Kazuki from screaming out. She bit harshly down on it, ignoring the curse and the slap she got in return, and instead focused on trying to get to her brother. Despite her struggles she couldn't get free. And the glowing crow bar was getting closer and closer. All she could do was watch as…

"NO!"

"GET AWAY!"

A flash of blue light and the boys that were piled on top of her were suddenly gone, an unfamiliar warmth replacing them. Kazuki opened her eyes to find her entire body wreathed in blue flames.

"It's burning," she heard Rin whisper. She looked over and found her brother surround in the same blue flames.

"They're warm," she murmured, trying to comprehend why she wasn't a crispy human chip. She vaguely heard Shiratori's goons screaming as they ran away in the background.

"Those blue flames are indeed proof that you are the true scions of Satan." The unfamiliar deep voice caused both of them to look up. Kazuki was shocked to find that this new voice was coming from the monster Shiratori had become. The thing laughed. "I was right after all." He crouched in front of them, a feral grin on his face. "My name is Astaroth. Come with me my young prince and princess. Lord Satan has long awaited the two of you."

"Satan?" Rin asked, shocked dumb.

"What the hell?" Kazuki breathed out, terrified.

"Evil is in their hearts." Kazuki whipped around to see the familiar figure of their dad approaching them.

"Dad," she breathed a sigh of relief.

Their father began to recite something, a bible verse that she had undoubtedly heard before but had never bothered memorizing. The creature leaped at him, causing Kazuki to lurch to her feet but her dad didn't need her help. He avoided the creature with practiced skill, all the while continuing his chanting. As his words built, Kazuki could feel the air around them become charged with power until whatever had possessed Shiratori was banished with a lingering scream.

"Damn you Exorcist!"

Kazuki stared at the limp body at her father's feet and slowly sank to her knees in shock.

"Are you alright?" She looked up at her dad's question, and then quickly looked back down at herself noticing that the blue flames that had covered her moments ago were also gone. A quick glance to her side showed the same held true for Rin.

She nodded to her dad as Rin asked after Shiratori.

Her dad looked down at the boy. "I exorcised the demon who had possessed him. He'll come to in a moment."

"Demon?" she repeated.

"You two can see them now, can't you?" their dad asked, turning to blow at a cat-bug that had wondered too close to his face.

"That's what these are?" her brother exclaimed, swatting at the ones that flew around him.

"They're called Coal Tars," their dad informed them. "This world has two dimensions that are joined as one. Kind of like a mirror. There is the material world that we live in called Assiah. The other is Gehenna, an empty realm inhabited by demons." His gaze hardened. "Now stand up, both of you! Thanks to this uproar they have learned of your awakening. Demons of all species will come after you. You must hide."

"Awakening?"

"Demons?"

Their dad seemed to barely be tolerating their queries and looked ready to shout at them, but he faltered when Rin asked the crucial question. "What _are_ we?"

Their dad let out a heavy sigh. "You are not human beings." Those words hit Kazuki like knives, stealing her breath and twisting deeper with every word. "You are the children of a demon born by a human woman." Their dad yanked them both to their feet, refusing to meet their eyes as he delivered his last damning words.

"And not just any demon. You are the offspring of Satan."

* * *

 **I always thought Fujimoto could have handled this scene a little better. I mean, I get that Rin can be a hella dumbass at times, but could you blame a kid who had just burst into flames for freaking out a little? He almost seems angry. Although, I guess this is your exact definition of a BAD DAY. Oh, well. I decided not to change too much because I do need Rin and Kazuki getting angry with their father later. This is a real good way to do it.**

 **I have big plans for this story! The more I read the manga, the more excited I get. For the beginning I'm going to be sticking pretty close to cannon (a mix between the anime and the manga). But expect larger changes as I go!**

 **Someone asked for me to exclude a Rin/Shiemi relationship. Since I still haven't finished the manga, I don't really have a concrete answer for you yet. I won't lie, I'm not a huge fan of the two of them. I would also like to point out that Rin is not the main character of this story, so whatever do I decide will be mentioned in passing only.**

 **Please let me know what you think in a review! It helps me keep writing!**

 **X Cheerfully Blue**


	3. Sprinting

**Sorry I'm a day later than I promised. The wifi has been down in my apartment building. Finally got it back today!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:** **Sprinting**

Kazuki's feet pounded against the pavement and her breath came in strangled gasps. Beside her ran her brother, a frown on his face as they following their dad through the streets. Things were chasing them, greeting them at every turn. _Demons_ , her mind supplied. They were running from demons.

"Duck!" her dad yelled as something that resembled a flaming frog launched itself at them. Kazuki threw herself at Rin, slamming him into the ground at the frog exploded into flames where his head had been a moment early. "Get up!"

Scrambling to her feet, she dragged her brother behind her, keeping him moving even as he struggled to get his legs beneath him.

A loud burst of birdsong sounded above them and Kazuki looked up to see Asuka flying over their heads. "Asuka!" she called, fear gripping her as she watched her tiny little friend dodge demons. "Asuka go home! Go home, it's dangerous!"

Asuka let out an angry tweet, ignoring her master's words as she took point above her father. Her dad glanced up at the tit and when Asuka veered to the left, down an alley way, her dad dully followed.

"We have to get back to the monastery," their dad yelled. "Night is falling. That's when demons are their most active. We have to hurry!"

Gritting her teeth and growling under her breath, Kazuki forced her legs to move faster, channeling more strength into each step she took. Her dad had a lot of explaining to do and damn if something as inconsequential as a demon was going to get in her way.

They skidded into the monastery courtyard just as the last rays of light were leaving the sky. Her dad barked out orders to the other clergymen and they were quickly carried out with military-like efficiency. So they were in on it too, Kazuki surmised. This Exorcist business that she had always assumed was just a load of hooey.

The doors to the chapel closed behind them. The clergymen that she had thought she knew, the family she thought was hers, jogged up and down the pews. She couldn't help but feel like they were preparing for battle.

Asuka landed on Kazuki's shoulder, her feathers puffed up and twitching nervously.

"Come with me!" her dad called, having moved aside the tabernacle to reveal a hidden set of stairs. Rin and Kazuki rushed to follow him.

"What's happening?" Rin asked her as they jogged down the pews. Fear clouded his blue eyes.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"You didn't know about all of this?" he asked, clearly wondering if he was the only one that had been left in the dark.

She pursed her lips, feelings of betrayal rising up inside of her. "No. I didn't."

Their dad was standing in front of a chest that held two swords, blue and red. "The Koma Swords," he informed them. He reached inside and pulled them out. "Also know and Kurikara." he handed Rin the sword in the blue scabbard. Her dad met her eyes and handed her the sword in a red scabbard. "And Seinaruhi." Kazuki accepted the sword, the metal scabbard cold against her skin.

"They are twin demon-slaying swords from ancient times. Many years ago, I transferred your demonic powers to these swords and sealed them shut. Rin's in Kurikara and Kazuki's in Seinaruhi."

"Powers?" Rin whispered.

Kazuki looked down that the sword in her hands with wide eyes, suddenly feeling like she was holding a deadly snake. She had to resist the urge to drop it. Asuka rubbed her head against her neck in a futile attempt to comfort her master.

"These swords are more important than your lives," their dad informed them seriously. "You must keep it on you at all times and never let it fall into someone else's hands. It can never be drawn. Once drawn, your demonic powers will be awakened and you will never be human again."

Human… she wasn't human. She was… she was…

"What about Yukio?" she asked her father, Rin echoing her concern.

"The three of you may be triplets, but Yukio was born weak and frail. He was unable to sustain the power. You two alone inherited them."

Kazuki's eyes slid shut in what might have been relief. It explained so much. Yukio had always been the best of them, she and Rin both knew it. And all this time it was because they two alone had the blood of demons running through their veins. The cruel taunts she had received when she was younger were suddenly eerily accurate.

The entire church shook, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Did everyone know?" Rin asked harshly. "Did they know that we weren't human? That were the spawn of the devil?"

Their dad's silence was answer enough. The rage and betrayal built up inside of her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kazuki snapped. Her father who had never lied to her, whom she trusted completely; why had he not told them?

"I wanted to raise you two as ordinary humans, for as long as you stayed that way."

"Oh, but now we aren't?" The rage that lived inside of her was building. She knew that anger. It had shadowed her her whole life, always bubbling just beneath the surface. It made her quick to pick a fight and even quicker to throw a punch. She thought she was starting to control it, learning to walk away when it raised its head. But there was no controlling it this time, no way to divert the betrayal that was fueling it. Apparently it was useless that she had ever tried, because in the end she just wasn't human enough.

Her dad shot her a glare. "We don't have time for this!" He shoved his cell phone into her brother's hands. "There is one number saved in that phone. He's a friend of mine that you can trust. He will hide you. You two must run. We will hold off the demons, but once they are gone you must flee." He ran up the steps of the hidden room and slammed the entrance shut behind him.

Kazuki ran after him, a scream of rage escaping her as she pounded at the locked door. Asuka squawked and flew into the air.

"Come back here!" she yelled. "We're not done talking, old man!"

An explosion on the other side of the door caused the entire room to shake. She quieted, pressing her ear against the wood, hoping that everyone on the other side was alright. Shouting voices calmed her fears.

Maruta, Kyodo, Izumi, Nagatomo. They were her family just as much as her father. They all knew, her whole life and the entire time they knew. How much of their involvement in raising her was making sure she could be controlled when she finally inherited her powers? What else had they lied about?

" _Fuck!_ " Rin screamed, driving his fists into the wall of the room. She let him rage, knowing he needed some way to release the anger that was coursing through him.

The small room continued to shake from the battle playing out on the other side. Despite her anger, she still feared for the clergymen. Maybe they never considered her family, but they were hers. She always protected those she cared for. Demon or not.

She pushed against the door that held her captive, drawing on all of her strength. _Her demonic strength_ , she realized. It shifted but it was remained stubbornly closed.

"Rin!" she called, continuing to push. In seconds her brother was beside her, adding his own unnatural strength to hers. The door gave way and they shot out like bullets, Asuka flying out above them.

The chapel was a disaster, and in the middle of the mess stood a huge goliath with the horns of a ram. The beast made to attack their father, but Rin was faster, grabbing the head of a broken pitchfork and launching it at the demon. Their father chanted scripture and the demon was banished once again.

Kyodo laid on the floor in the middle of the chapel, clearly injured. Kazuki quickly ran to his side, passing her father as she went.

"Kyodo, bring the car around," her father ordered.

The clergyman smiled at her concern, but stood, holding himself stiffly. "Wait! You're hurt," she accused, trying to get him to stop moving.

"Right now our first priority is to get you two into hiding," her father told her firmly. "Don't forget that it's the two of you the demons are after. Now go pack your bags."

Kazuki's fists clenched at his words and Kyodo gave her a sympathetic smile before running off to do as ordered.

"So what you're saying is that everything will be okay as long as we're gone," Rin growled.

"No, Rin, that is _not_ what I am saying."

"That's what I heard." Her dad whipped around and at her words and Kazuki glared back at him.

"That's okay," Rin went on bitterly. "We're happy to bounce. Looks like you finally found an excuse to get rid of us. Better take it while you can." He made to move towards their living quarters, Kazuki doing the same.

"No! Rin, Kazuki!" Her dad ran forward and grabbed Rin's shoulder since he was the closest.

Rin shook him off. "You don't have to tell us that we're the screwed up ones! We've never been like Yukio! We've only ever been trouble. Just some strangers that you took off the street. You said it yourself, you'll only took us in because you had to, because we were _dangerous_. And now that we're no longer human you're kicking us back out!"

Their father took a step forward. "Rin—."

"Stop acting like my father!" Rin shouted. "You're not my father!"

The slap echoed through the ruins of the chapel.

Kazuki's mouth fell open in shock, unable to believe that her father, that man that had been her father, had laid a hand on her brother. Rin stood in front of him, his head bowed.

"Go pack, Rin," he father told him quietly.

"Yeah. Okay." Her brother's voice was thick and defeated.

Anger filling her to brim, Kazuki ran past her father stand in front her brother, glaring defiantly at the man.

"You too, Kazuki," he ordered.

"The man I called father swore to protect me," she hissed at him, anger and betrayal making her shake. "The man I called father would never raise his hand to us. And he would never send us away." She took a step back from him, shielding Rin from his gaze. "You are _not_ my father."

With one last look of disgust, she placed her hand on her brother's shoulder, leading him into the living quarters so they could pack. They would leave if that's what Fujimoto Shiro wanted. They would leave so he could be rid of them for good.

A pained gasp caused her to look back.

Her father had collapsed to his knees, a pained look on his face. "No… It can't be," he gasped.

Kazuki hesitated. "Old man…?"

Izumi ran to help him but her father ordered him away. "Don't come another step closer!"

"W-what's going on?" Rin asked.

Suddenly their father started to laugh. A mad laugh that grated against her ears, causing her to flinch and take a step back. A feral grin spread across his face, and she gasped when she saw that fangs filled his mouth. Eyes snapped up to meet her own, and a great evil gazed at her from crimson depths.

"Hello, _kids_."

* * *

"Old man?"

"Kazuki! Get back! Father Fujimoto's been possessed!"

That terrible laughter started up again. Mad eyes looked her over with manic pleasure as blue flames bloomed to life around him. "Hello daughter. Nice to finally meet you. And you, son."

Slowly shaking her head, Kazuki backed away. This was not her father, she could not be related to this.

Her denial amused him. "I am Satan, the ruler of Gehenna and your true father!"

Izumi and Maruta attempted to charge the demon, but with a smile Satan threw an arm out and blue flame engulfed them.

"No!" she and Rin screamed.

The demon possessing her father let out a peal of laughter. "I'd hate to cut our little reunion short," Satan told them happily, "but time is running out for me. Or rather, it is running out for this body. I'm too powerful to possess anything in Assiah for long, you see." As he spoke, blood began to seep from their father's eyes and nose, his body breaking down. With a smile, Satan ripped into their father's arm, causing blood to cover the floor. It spread on its own accord until a portal opened before them. From its black depths small creatures reached out of it and tried to grab them.

"What is that thing?" Rin asked in horror.

"Gehenna Gate." Satan moved, faster than Kazuki could follow with her eyes, and suddenly his hand was clamped down on her arm. "Come, my daughter. Gehenna is waiting for you."

Kazuki shrieked, fighting against the powerful grip he had on her.

"Kazuki!"

"Rin!" she screamed. She dug her nails into the floor, flames bursting to life from within her as she thrashed in the demon's hold.

The cry of a bird was heard and then Asuka was swooping down. Except it wasn't the Asuka she had come to know. This bird was much, much larger, easily the size of a large dog, with talons to match. Those talons tore into the demon's face, causing Satan to lose his grip on her. She quickly scrambled away, screaming as Satan threw Asuka off of him, setting the creature on fire.

Asuka's high pitched screeches rang throughout the chapel.

Rin hauled her to her feet and they both turned to flee.

"Not so fast!"

Claws tore into her calf as he grabbed her ankle, and before she was fully aware of her recapture, Satan flung her through the air and into Gehenna's Gate.

"Kazuki!"

Thousands of hands clawed at her, grabbing onto whatever they could reached, dragging her down. She was too far away from the edge to stop her descent.

"Rin, run!" she yelled, fighting the hold the gate had on her. "Run!"

"Your turn, my son." Satan turned his focus on Rin. He moved in a blur of color and then he had Rin in his grip. "You and your sister are truly extraordinary. The blood of Gehenna's lord flows through your veins, yet your bodies exist here in Assiah. You should rejoice! Today is the day of your rebirth as demons, my children!"

"No!" Rin yelled, clawing at Satan's grip on him, flames bursting to life around him. "No! We're human!"

With a laugh, Satan threw him into the gate as well.

"Now, to deal with those damned swords." Satan walked over to where Kazuki's sword lay abandoned on the floor. She had unknowing dropped as she fought to escape his grasp. He picked up Seinaruhi, and grasped the pommel firmly. "I will relieve you off this burden, daughter," he announced with a grin.

By now the hands had almost pulled her under. Kazuki struggled but she couldn't break free. "No!" she yelled. That sword staying sheathed was the only thing that kept her human. He couldn't be allowed to break the seal. But hands kept pulling at her, gripping at her face now that it was in their reach. She had moments, just moments until it consumed her completely.

There was nothing she could do.

Satan pulled the sword from its scabbard.

She screamed as flames engulfed her. Pressure she had never known pressed down on her, filling her body and twisting it to its desired shape. Her fingers turned into talons and she felt the bite of fangs tearing into her lips. She heard Rin screaming her name but it was muffled as the gate sucked her further in, up to her ears now.

Satan's laughter was distant, but she could still hear it. "Welcome home, daughter."

Kazuki clawed at the hands that held her, trying to gain purchase. She tilted her chin up in an effort to stay above for just a moment longer. "Help!" she cried frantically. "Please!"

"Kazuki!" Rin screamed.

"And now for you, my son," Satan declared, walking over to where Kurikara was being consumed by the gate along with Rin.

But before he could reach it, Satan's face contorted.

"No…" their father's voice gasped. Kazuki watched as their dad fought off the madness in his eyes. "That boy is my son, and that girl is my daughter." He gripped at the pendent that hung around his neck, turning the sharp edge until it was pointed at his heart. "And I am taking them _back_!"

"Dad!" she screamed as her father plunged the object into his heart, her cry echoed by Rin.

The black mass of the gate rose up around her as her father's body fell in. She screamed as she finally lost the battle. The black mass closed around her head, blocking out the last bit of Assiah from her sight and sending her into darkness. She reached desperately with her fingers, the only part of her that had yet to be consumed, trying to hold onto the material world but only finding air.

It was over.

She had lost.

Everything.

And then her world of darkness erupted into the warmth of blue flames and the hands that pulled her down disappeared. She lay, shaking, on the cold floor of the ruined chapel.

Looking around her desperately, she found Rin wreathed in blue flames with Kurikara in his hands. Pain lanced through her heart when she saw he had drawn it, forsaking his humanity to close the gate. She took in his pointed ears, fangs and tail that no doubt was mirrored in her.

What had they become?

She crawled over to her father where he lay motionless on the floor.

"Dad," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Dad…"

A flutter of wings and Asuka was beside her, still in her unnaturally large form, unharmed except for some singed feathers. The bird laid its head on her shoulder, letting out a heart wrenching keen.

Kazuki collapsed onto her father's body and sobbed.

* * *

Dressed in black and soaked to the skin from the rain, Kazuki stared at Mephisto.

"Our dad said you would protect us," she told him.

"And you are the daughter of Satan. It's nothing personal, it's business. You, my dear, are a liability."

"That's it, then?" she asked him coldly. "Our dad dies to save us and you're just going to kill us anyway?"

"It is unfortunate," Mephisto agreed. "Almost tragic. You have my sympathies."

"No," Rin growled from beside her.

Mephisto to tilt his head in curiosity. "Would you like to say something, son of Satan?"

"Let us join you."

Kazuki's eyebrows shot up at this statement, but was immediately behind it. If they trained to become Exorcists they would live another day. They could become stronger. And they could make sure that no one ever hurt their family again.

Mephisto was also caught off guard by the request and burst into hysterical laughter. When his giggles had tapered off he gave Rin an amused look. "And what would _you_ do as an Exorcist?"

"Kick Satan's ass!" Rin growled.

Another round of laughter, but then the purple-haired demon noticed the hard set on the eldest triplets' faces. "You're serious."

"We are," Kazuki confirmed.

Mephisto gave them a considering look. "The son and daughter of Satan… Exorcists." A dark grin spread across his face. "I like it." He snapped his fingers. "Very well. We will train you."

Kazuki tried to keep the shock off her face. It had been a longshot, a desperate bid to stay alive and to kill their father's murderer. Yet somehow it had worked.

"But be warned," Mephisto's face darkened and she had to stop herself from shivering under his predatory gaze. "The two of you have chosen a long and treacherous path. Your fate will be agonizing. You might come to regret not dying here today."

Like she had with everyone who had ever doubted her strength, Kazuki looked Mephisto in the eye and said, "Bring it on."

* * *

 **"Seinaruhi" = holy fire**

 **Let me know what you think! See you next week!**

 **x Cheerfully Blue**


	4. A New Start

**Well, my life got busy again. I'm currently studying for medical school entrance exams and boy does that just kill my creative juices. And take up all of my time. So maybe this whole 'chapter a week' thing will turn more into a 'let's wait until she's done with the biggest exam she's taken to date' thing. We'll see what happens**

 **Anyway, showers are great! Great things happen in the shower: you get clean, you can sing at the top of your lungs, make your hair do weird stuff with shampoo suds, stuff like that. But they're also great for thinking up plot ideas! My overall goal with this fic before my recent shower revelation was basically: don't make it a carbon copy of the manga. Change shit up. Well, I had a wonderful idea recently and let me tell you: shit is gonna get real. Not right away, but the overall arching plot is going to be super cool. I'm excited. Are you excited? Let's get excited!**

 **Leggo!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A New Start**

Kazuki let out a sigh of exasperation. What the _fuck_ was she supposed to do with her tail? Why the fuck did she even _have_ a tail? And fangs! Those were a new addition as well. Although the pointy ears were kind of cool, if kind of hard to explain.

But they had nothing on the _actual fucking tail_ that was swaying in the air behind her.

And Mephisto failed to mention that attending the Cram School also meant wearing a skirt. A really short skirt. _Who the hell designed this uniform?_ she thought darkly, looking in the mirror and getting pissed at how much of her thighs were showing. Bending over was a no-no for the foreseeable future.

And her tail just lifted the skirt up further.

Grumbling under breath, she took the blue furred appendage in her hand. _Gently_. She had learned very quickly that her new limb was freakishly sensitive. Whacking it against almost every doorway she has walked through since obtaining it had caused her to go on a very impressive cursing streak.

She ran her thumbs through the short fur, causing her to shudder at the very acute, very ticklish feeling it caused. _Kind of like a cat's tail_ , she thought. Maybe more like a lion's, since the very tip ended in a tuff of blue hair. Sighing, she tried to think of ways to hide it.

Wrapping it around one of her legs didn't work, simply because the skirt had been too short to risk it. Getting a new idea, she unbuttoned her dress shirt and slowly let her tail wrap around her waist. Buttoning the shirt back up, she nodded. She'd have to stick to slightly baggy clothes, and her tail felt unbelievably restricted, but it would do.

Nodding to herself, she turned around to face her now empty room.

Clenching her jaw, she grabbed her duffle bags and exited.

Rin was waiting by the gate of the monastery. The clergymen had already gathered around him to say their goodbyes and very easily accepted her into the fold. She was passed from priest to priest, all wishing her luck and happiness.

"Please come back, Rin-kun, Kazuki-chan," Maruta smiled at them. "This will always be your home and whatever happens, our doors will be open to you."

Shame overwhelmed her. How could she have doubted her family's love for her? How could she have doubted the men who had raised her? Even her own fa—.

With a forced smiled, Kazuki thanked them.

Subdued birdsong announced Asuka's presence as she landed on her shoulder.

 _You are sad,_ the bird stated knowingly.

Kazuki nodded.

 _The pain will ease with time. This I know._ Asuka rubbed her beak against her neck in comfort. Kazuki reached up ruffle the feathers under the bird's neck in thanks.

Many conversations had occurred over the past two days with many people. One of them had been with Asuka…

* * *

"You're a demon?" Kazuki asked, curled up on her bed and grieving. She was so tired. The day, much like the night before, had been a rush of barely remembered memories. Plans had to be made for her father's body and she had to be present. She should sleep, but she couldn't, she still need to talk with the tiny tit that was currently perched on her pillow.

 _I have been called many things,_ Asuka had answered. Her voice was warm and soothing inside Kazuki's head, like sunlit honey. If the triplet had a mother, she imagined her voice would sound like this. _I have been called goddess, demon, angel, and more. Who decides what makes a demon?_

Kazuki blinked. "I… I don't know."

The tiny black and white bird mentally laughed while tweeting softly. _And I do not expect you to know, my young friend. That is a question that humans have been pondering for many millennia. And while humanity may not know the answer, it does not hurt to keep asking. Fujimoto-san devoted the last years of his life to this question._

Tears welled in Kazuki's eyes at the mention of her father.

 _Oh, my friend…_ Asuka hopped towards her and snuggled up against her cheek where it lay on the pillow. _It pains me that you must learn of such grief while still so young._

"I said terrible things to him," Kazuki whispered. "How could I say those things?"

 _Many words can be said in moments of passion. Good and bad. Wise and foolish. And while we cannot take these words back, we can learn from these moments and become stronger. I can assure you, Kazuki-chan, Shiro-san did not hate you for these words._

"He didn't?"

Asuka rubbed her feathered head against the skin of her cheek. _He was your father. He loved you until the end._

Even though Kazuki believed herself incapable of still shedding tears, they stubbornly continued to fall whenever she thought of her father.

"Dad knew about you?" she asked, once the tears subsided.

Asuka tweeted in confirmation. _Yes. Stubborn man! He suspected for months and would constantly try to trick me into revealing my true form. It was amusing to watch. Eventually, once I deemed he was not a threat, I revealed myself to him._

"You showed him your other form?"

 _And I spoke with him._ Asuka moved away from her. With a quick hop, she took flight. Kazuki followed her movements intently. Once in the air, Asuka summersaulted. There was a small burst of black fire and then a magnificent bird of prey came to land on the bed beside her. Her coloring was much the same, black and white feathers and a black beak. But she was now the size of a large dog, with talons and a fierce gleam in her eyes to match.

"In this form I can speak to others _,"_ Asuka spoke, her beak making odd clacking noises as she did so. "It is not preferred. But I cannot communicate with most the way I can communicate with you _._ "

And she had a suspicion why. "Because I'm a… a demon."

There was a flash of emotions in the bird demon's eyes. _You are also human,_ Asuka said with emphasis, reverting back to telepathic communication. _But you are correct; the demonic powers that were awakened inside of you allows us to communicate thusly._

"Why now? Why not show me what you were before now?"

Asuka tilted her head and intelligent eyes blinked at her. _That is a question that requires more information before I may answer. Will you listen?_ Kazuki nodded. _Very well, then._ _You may be familiar with the creature called a phoenix; many have likened me to such a creature. When I become gravely injured, my material body will erupt into flames and create a new body from the old. Thus I begin a new life. New beginnings are dangerous because I am left defenseless. You found me at such an instance._

"You were a hatchling," Kazuki remembered. Her eyes widened in understanding. "And you were sitting in a pile of ashes."

 _About to become the meal of a feline until you found me. I knew what you were the moment I laid eyes on you, daughter of Satan. Fire recognizes fire._ Kazuki looked away, but Asuka lightly nipped at her fingers to regain her attention. _I have seen evil, Kazuki-chan. Despite your heritage, you have no ill-will in your heart. I made the choice to trust you, and to this day I do not regret it._

 _I did not show myself to you in the beginning for two reasons. The first being that I simply could not. My new body had to grow and become strong enough to support the transformation. The second was because I knew you did not know of your heritage and I did not want to be the one to reveal it to you._

"And after the beginning?" Kazuki asked.

 _Fujimoto-san and I spoke on this topic many times. He wished to keep you ignorant of your heritage, and while I do not agree with some of his reasons, he wanted you to have a normal life for as long as was possible. Who am I to disagree with the decisions of a father? I kept my identity from you, and stayed as your friend and protector._

"Protector?"

Asuka bobbed her head. _Yes, my friend. You saved my life and cared for me when I was at my weakest. You have proven yourself to be a kind and compassionate being. I wish to repay this kindness you have shown me by staying by your side and protecting you._

 _Unfortunately,_ the demon ducked its head in shame _, I have recently failed at this. I was unable to stop the King of Gehenna with dire consequences. Forgive me, my friend. I will prove my strength to you in the future. My power still grows inside this body and the next time you face such dire evil, I will be of more help. If you will have me, that is. I have kept much from you and have caused you great pain._

Asuka's head remained bowed before her, waiting for an answer.

Kazuki's brow furrowed in anger, confusion, and grief.

"I don't like that you hid yourself from me," Kazuki eventually told the demon bird. Asuka's head dropped lower. "I do not like it, but I… I think I _understand_. Dad made the decision not to tell me and Rin about demons because he wanted us to be happy. To grow up human. And maybe I don't like his choice, but to him there wasn't a better option. Maybe… well, maybe some decisions don't _have_ right answers."

Still bowed, Asuka tilted her head and met her gaze. _You speak wise words, Kazuki-chan._

 _If only I had found them sooner_ , she thought to herself bitterly. Her father had been between a rock and a hard place with her and Rin. Raise two children knowing they were the spawn of Satan, or keep them ignorant? In the end, all choices had been bad ones.

She reached out and ran her fingers over the feathers on the back of Asuka's neck. "You are my friend. You do not have to protect me if you don't want to."

 _It is what I desire._

Kazuki lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. "Then I won't stop you. If you'd like, we can get stronger together. As friends."

Birds couldn't smile, but Kazuki swore that was exactly what Asuka was doing. _I would like that very much, my friend._

* * *

As she thought back on the conversation, Kazuki wondered just how old the bird demon that sat on her shoulder really was. _Old_ , she answered herself. _Very old._ You could practically hear the years of experience dripping off every word she said. Since she was still wrapping her mind around the fact that demons existed in the first place, she saved herself a mental breakdown and decided not to ask.

Yukio walked up beside them, more subdued than usual. Kazuki couldn't look him in the eye.

She was never one to shy away from a conversation that needed to be had, but for once she decided to play the coward and run away. How could she explain to her little brother that she was involved in their father's death? How do you explain demons and Satan and power giving swords?

It would seem like a cruel joke to play on him, because there was no way he would believe a word of it.

Yukio didn't ask questions. And she was too much of a coward to start giving him answers.

Kyodo, the eldest clergymen, had been the one to call Yukio during the aftermath. He had asked the eldest triplets if one of them wanted to make the call, but Rin didn't even acknowledge the question and Kazuki didn't know what she would tell her little brother. She ran away from her duty and let an equally grieving Kyodo do the job for her. The shame of the deed had happily piled on top of what she was already feeling.

She wasn't sure what Kyodo had told her brother, but Yukio had returned home with red eyes and a stoic face, not even blinking at the destruction of the chapel. He barely acknowledged Rin and Kazuki's presences.

The rest of the day had been a whirlwind of grief. Funeral arrangements had to be put in order, and though the people they dealt with were very sympathetic to their plight, you could tell that they dealt with grieving families every day and didn't really care that theirs had walked through the door. Yukio had taken the lead, with Kazuki helping him out, while Rin just sort of stared at the floor the entire time.

She and Rin had talked. About their father, about Satan, about what they would do next. But Yukio didn't even attempt it.

And now all three of them were waiting for their ride to True Cross Academy and Yukio didn't even question their admittance. He had always been quiet, but now his silence was deafening.

"Where've you been?" Rin asked him.

"Visiting father," their little brother replied. He glanced at them, his face unreadable. "Have the two of you visited him?" When they stayed silent he went back to gazing at the road. "Typical brother and sister." He made the comment sound light-hearted, but she knew enough of Yukio to know that he meant every word of what he said, he just tried to disguise the daggers in his teasing tone.

She clenched her hand on the handle of her duffle bag and willed the tears that stung her eyes away. She had tried to visit their father's grave that morning, but the moment it was in her sight she found that she couldn't take another step forward. The grief and the shame had been too much and she had knelt where she stood on the gravel path, her head bowed.

Tears rolling down her face, she had promised she would come back when she was stronger, when the pain wasn't so fresh, and she would show him a daughter he could be proud of. She had whispered her father an apology for her lack of strength, stood, and left.

But Yukio didn't know that, of course. Typical little brother.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Rin's voice cracked from lack of use. Kazuki looked up to see him giving his siblings a ghost of his usual vibrant smile. "We're all going to high school together. I never thought it would happen."

Kazuki had to smile at him. Rin's good spirits had always been impossible to repress. "It is weird," she agreed.

Yukio stayed silent.

 _The three of you need to talk soon,_ Asuka commented. Rin flinched at the words, still not used to the little tit's ability to talk. Kazuki nodded, agreeing.

 _The two of you now have many paths before you,_ the bird informed them. _Do not allow guilt over past mistakes cloud your judgement. Above all, Shiro-san wanted you to grow up knowing love and kindness. Do not let allow yourselves to forget them._

It was a shame Yukio couldn't hear her words, Kazuki thought as a pink limousine pulled up. She felt like he could have used them.

* * *

True Cross Academy was just how Kazuki always imagined it would be: so posh it made her want to throw up from the reek of privilege that oozed from it. She tried not to fault Yukio for wanting to attend this place, she was sure it had some great teachers who taught some great…stuff. But jeez, she was definitely in a different world now, far away from the shady neighborhood they'd grown up in where the name Okumera Kazuki sent fear through anyone who thought they were above acting like a decent human being.

She definitely did not belong in this school. She only hoped the cram school was a bit more promising.

Rin and Kazuki followed Mephisto (who could turn into a freaking dog!) through the grand hallways of the cram school.

"How do you keep this place hidden?" she wondered aloud. The hallways were never-ending and the windows indicated that they weren't underground. She doubted that the non-Exorcist students on campus just failed to notice that there was a building they never had classes in.

"A lot of clever warding on my part," dog-Mephisto answered, trotting ahead of them. "While there are ways to access the cram school without a key, if you approach the buildings without this destination in mind, you are doomed to wander mindlessly around it for ages. We used to set up the Fall Festival corn maze right outside, but too many people got lost and we had to move it. Pity. It was dead fun."

"A corn maze?" Rin perked up. "I've never been in a corn maze!"

"Because no one was dumb enough to let you loose in one," Kazuki informed him dryly.

"We should visit a corn maze, Kazuki! I bet I could get through it faster than you."

Knowing her brother's directional skills were non-existent and that he was more likely to just run around for hours out of excitement, she felt her odds of winning were pretty good. "You're on."

They stopped outside a classroom labeled 111. Dog-Mephisto looked up at them. "I will be sitting in on your class today. Some of your teachers are aware of your… particular circumstance." He eyed them and Kazuki's tail twitched under her shirt. "However, you should keep this hidden from the other students. That means no drawing your swords, no showing your tails, and _no blue flames_."

She looked over to make sure Rin was paying attention before answering. "Got it, whiskers."

Mephisto gave her a flat look over said whiskers. "You're hilarious. I might just piss myself."

"Better not, I hate cleaning up piddle."

This time the dog did laugh. "Finally, someone in the family with a sense of humor…" This statement confused her, but Mephisto was already moving. "Come on, then! The classroom awaits!"

Rolling her eyes, she leaned forward and opened the door. The dog happily trotted in before them, the garish collar his was wearing bouncing with every step.

She and Rin followed behind him. The room they entered was dusty and full of furniture that had seen better days and large crates were stacked in the back for storage.

"Urg." Kazuki wrinkled her nose at room, a bit put out by its dilapidated state since the rest of the Academy was beyond pristine.

"Only seven others?" Rin wondered aloud.

Looking around, there was a trio of boys that were giving her funny looks, a pair of girls chatting quietly to themselves, some kid with what looked like a puppet, and a guy in the back with his hood up that vaguely reminded her of that American rapper Eminem.

Mephisto was informing them that this year's class was unusually large as Rin and Kazuki took their seats, sitting close to the front. _So much for being more promising,_ she thought to herself as she studied her fellow classmates more. The trio of boys looked alright enough, but the one with the pink hair kept sending her lecherous glances. She glared back with enough force that he squeaked and looked away, causing his two friends to glare back at her. Whatever.

The two girls were clearly already friends. That would be hard to infiltrate. Looked like her only shot at some friends were puppet-boy and the Eminem-wanna-be. Great.

One o'clock on the dot and the door to the classroom opened.

Kazuki's jaw dropped.

"If everyone could please take your seats, class is about to start." Yukio took his place behind the teacher's desk at the front of the room and gave them all a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I will be your teacher for anti-demon pharmacology, Okumera Yukio."

* * *

 **So, after reading the manga and perusing some stories other people have written for this fandom, I have finally caved and am trying to use Japanese honorifics. At some point I'll go back and correct the previous chapters. Please god, someone tell me if I'm using them wrong. From what I understand boys you know well get -kun, girls you know well get -chan. People you don't know well or who you respect get -san. I'm going to use them like that until told otherwise.**

 **Please leave a review! It really helps to hear back from you guys!**

 **x Cheerfully Blue**


	5. Intriguing

Hello again! I apologize for the long gap between chapter postings this time. I had mentioned last chapter that I was studying to take the American Medical College Admission Test-aka the MCAT. It has consumed my life along with medical school applications, but I'm taking a well-deserved break for the next few days. I cranked out this chapter and maybe we'll see another again soon. Who knows? Anything is possible when you believe/want to stop studying!

Thank you for sticking with this story and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Intriguing**

Cold. She had gone cold. Her heart was beating too fast and there seemed to be an odd ringing sound filling her ears.

Yukio, her little brother who she had always protected, was an…

 _He knew._

The thought echoed in her head, clanging against her skull. Yukio had known. Demons, Exorcists, no doubt about her and Rin as well.

Her hands tightened into fists

 _Dad had his reasons,_ Kazuki told herself. But goddammit, Yukio was her brother. Her _little_ brother. What right did Dad have to get him involved and leave the older two out? Yukio didn't belong in this world, he was human and he could have remained ignorant. Why would her father do this?

And why would Yukio go along with it?

 _I will not get angry,_ she chanted to herself as the shock began to wear off. _I will_ not _get angry._ Deep breathes, in and out like Father Fujimoto had taught her.

Rin's shouting drew her out of her thoughts.

"I'm trying to talk to you, Yukio!" her brother yelled, already on his feet. "Explain yourself!"

Yukio drew in a short breath and pressed his lips together minutely. _Pissed_ , Kazuki thought. Well, she didn't know what he had been expecting when he waltzed in here and began teaching them like it was the most natural thing in the world. Rin, in general, didn't take well to surprises.

"As I said before," Yukio answered stiffly, "I became an Exorcist at thirteen. I began training at the age of seven."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Rin fired back hotly.

Yukio's eyes sought her out. She could read the request in them, the silent plea to please get Rin to shut up. She was tempted to ignore it and let him lie in the bed he had made for himself, but she had promised herself that she would learn from her mistakes. Anger had been her first reaction when Father Fujimoto told them the truth and that had led to her dad dying thinking she hated him.

But goddammit, Yukio hadn't exactly made this easy for her.

She reached up and grasped the collar of Rin's shirt and used all her considerable strength to yank him back down into his chair.

Rin flailed in his seat before turning accusing eyes on her. "Kazuki!"

"Rin," she hissed, hand still on his collar. "Sit down and shut up."

"But Yukio…" he waved his arms in Yukio's direction.

She gritted her teeth. "He's an asshole, I know. We can beat him up after class. But right now you're making a scene. We're supposed to lay low, remember?"

"Yes, something I'm starting to think you may be incapable of," dog-Mephisto sniffed from where he sat at their feet, having fallen out of Rin's lap when her brother had stood.

Kazuki glared daggers at the dog to get it to shut up. She got what she wanted and ignored the offended huff the whiskered mutt let out.

Turning her attention back to her brother she watched Rin's hands clench into fists with wary eyes. She could see how angry he was. He was on the edge of an explosion, his body screaming for a fight. "Please," she requested, her voice tight, her eyes purposefully catching his and holding them.

Rin's eyes bored into her, burning with uncontrollable anger that begged for release. She took a deep breath, pushing down the wave of fury that seeing Rin's own anger sparked in her. They didn't need an explosion. They needed to lay low, to blend in. And they were already failing not ten minutes in. _Breathe_. She did, like Dad had taught her. "Please," she repeated.

Rin's brow screwed up, but his body began to relax, eventually giving her a tense nod. "Fine." She carefully let go of his shirt, making sure he would behave and not jump right back to his feet. He grumbled and sent Yukio a harsh glare, but slumped back in his seat with his arms crossed, content to wait for the end of class.

"Thank you, Okumura-chan." Yukio gave her a polite nod, his face blank.

"You're welcome, Okumura-sensei," she replied tersely, her body vibrating with held in emotion. _Breathe_. She met his eyes and did her best to convey to him that they were going to have a talk very soon whether he liked it or not.

His eyes tightened minutely before returning to his lecture.

Determined to give her brother the benefit of the doubt and to control her anger until she knew where it should be directed, Kazuki put all of her focus into listening to the lecture. Yukio was _good_ at teaching; she knew this from the times he had tutored her in middle school. And unlike the math and science classes she had taken back then, she had a feeling this stuff was actually going to be interesting.

"So, as I was saying before, I will be diluting the rotten animal blood in ten parts milk." He turned the board and began writing on it. "Dilutions are common in anti-demon pharmacology and they will be our focus for today's class. You will be expected to perform them often. There is an equation that you will memorize to make diluting easier." He drew said equation on the board with precise stokes.

With Yukio's back turned, a certain mutt decided that it no longer wanted to be secluded to the floor and hopped up in her lap. Kazuki jumped in surprised and glared down at the headmaster-turned-dog that was currently perched on her thighs, having seemingly decided she was the more reliable half-demon triplet. She happily proved him wrong and shoved him back on the floor, smirking at his offended squawk.

"This equation looks at volume and concentration." Yukio pointed out the corresponding variables. "You always start a dilution with a solution of known volume and concentration. By taking a portion of this original solution and adding more solvent to it, you can make a second solution that isn't as concentrated. This is called dilution."

He began to explain that they would be looking at the protein concentration in the blood since that was what the goblins were drawn to. Kazuki watched as his fingers moved over the glassware with practice skill, and even though she might possibly be very angry with him once she got some answers, she was proud at how well he explained what he was doing. It was clear that the entire class understood.

"Those of you who have yet to receive your mashou please step forward."

The goblins looked kind of like demented basketballs with arms and acted like skittish cats, Kazuki observed. A pair of them slowly made their way to the front of the classroom when a drop of diluted animal's blood was placed on the floor. Yukio caught one with quick hands and had each of the unmarked students hold out a finger to be nipped. Once it's job was complete, Yukio let the goblin go and it, along with its friend, scurried to the back of the classroom, deciding that the meal wasn't worth the hassle of getting man-handled.

"Now," he turned to the class with his lips quirked. "To get to the bulk of today's lesson: dilutions."

An hour later Yukio dismissed them with a worksheet full of dilution problems to be completed by next class period as well as a list of herbs and their uses they were expected to have memorized by next week. As the class filed out and Yukio packed up his equipment, Rin and Kazuki stayed seated at their shared desk.

Mephisto had long ago returned to his original seat in Rin's lap and Kazuki's continued attempts to catch his eyes and tell him to scram were blatantly ignored. It seemed he wanted to be present for the impending talk.

Once the classroom was empty (sans one furry mutt), the only noise that could be heard was the light tinkling of glassware as Yukio dutifully cleaned up after himself. Her little brother's face was completely lacking emotion, but Kazuki noticed he gripped his instruments with more force than was perhaps necessary.

Rin, for his part, had stayed relatively calm during the lesson. He was still angry, that was clear from the deep frown on his face and his clenched hands, but at least he was no longer explosive.

Time to get the ball rolling then…

"So you're an exorcist?" Kazuki asked carefully.

An emotionless nod. "I am."

"And you've been training since we were seven?"

Another nod.

"I'm sorry."

Yukio looked up from his work and blinked at her, caught off guard. Even Rin was giving her an incredulous stare. Kazuki wasn't really sure where those words had come from, but she meant them. Whether her brother deserved her anger or not, he had been asked to keep a secret from them for years. She recognized the difficulty in that.

"You had to deal with this all on your own," Kazuki explained with a shrug. "I'm sorry."

Yukio carefully placed a beaker into his bag, but the emotionless mask he had been wearing before was gone and his eyes looked a little more alive now. "I chose to become an exorcist," he told her, his every word measured like he was wont to do when he was irritated or upset. "I've been able to see demons since I was born, one of you gave me a mashou at birth. When…" Yukio's hands paused before continuing loading his pack. "When Dad realized, he told me everything and he asked if I wanted to become an exorcist."

"Why?" Rin's voice cracked and he stared resolutely at the desk in front of him, arms still crossed. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have protected you."

Yukio's lips pulled up in a humorless smile, he closed his bag and leaned against the front of the teacher's desk. "I didn't tell you because I became and exorcist to become stronger. To protect _you_. Both of you. Dad said you would need to be protected."

"Because we're Satan's kids," Rin surmised bitterly.

"Yes."

The word sat heavily between them. The confirmation that they were the spawn of a demon. She had often wondered who her birth parents had been, all three of them had; but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Satan as her father. She didn't know how that was possible, or what it even meant. But everyone, including Father Fujimoto, had made it sound like it was a bad thing.

"What…" Yukio swallowed and studied his hands. "What did you do to him?"

"What do you mean?" Kazuki asked, frowning at the vague question.

He looked at her over his glasses, his expression guarded. "The night father died; what did you say to him? Kyodo said that Satan possessed him. Dad's the only person in the world thought to be able to sustain possession by Satan. He fought Satan off for fifteen years through pure force of will. He would have never allowed the possession unless he had received a fatal blow to his mind. If Dad ever had a weakness, it was you two. So… what did you do?"

Kazuki stared Yukio, her body going cold once again.

 _You are not my father._

The words she had spoken in anger came back to her in an instant. Had she not already been agonizing over them for the past few days? The last words she had said to her father had been ones of hate and she could never take that back. But Yukio implied that…

"No." The word left her in gasp and her whole body began to shake. She looked at Yukio's resigned face with growing horror.

Shocked numbness began to creep over her as her eyes filled up with tears once again. It couldn't be true. She hadn't _meant_ them. Her father had known she loved him… hadn't he?

Kazuki drew in a shaking breath to answer her brother's original question, because Yukio deserved to know and Rin was remaining silent. "The…the night Dad died, Rin and I told him that… that he that he wasn't our father." She bowed her head, shame and grief filling her.

"You…?" Yukio's voice was shocked, disbelieving. But it quickly turned venomous. "Why the hell would you _do_ that? I _knew_ it! I knew it was you two."

Beside her, there was a sound of rushing air as Rin surged to his feet and erupted into blue flames. Kazuki was on her feet just as quickly. However, her target wasn't Yukio. She stood between her two brothers, standing closest to Rin in case she had to hold him back. She didn't know what he would be capable of if he let his anger take over while his flames were summoned. Yukio had taken several steps back the moment Rin moved. His pistols were drawn, though they remained at his side.

Kazuki put a hand on Rin's chest, pushing him back. Her brother resisted so she pushed harder, forcing his feet to move. "Calm down," she ordered in the no-nonsense voice that had always worked on him in the past. Rin glared at her, but she held his gaze, daring him to misbehave. They had gotten themselves in a dangerous situation. Blue fire and guns and grief-ridden hearts that were waiting to erupt at the right spark. She had already lost one family member. She wouldn't lose another.

Rin looked away first, his flames flickering out as he did so.

Emotions rolling beneath her composed exterior, she looked back a Yukio who was currently staring at his siblings with wary eyes. "We were scared," she said with forced calm. "We were stupid." _And we got Father killed._

His hands clinched, but thankfully not on the triggers of his pistols. "And you think that's some sort of excuse?" he asked harshly.

Something in her snapped. So much for calm. At least she wasn't a blue kerosene lamp. Yet. "No, I don't very well think it's an excuse but it happened!" she snapped at him. "You weren't _there_ , Yukio! We had burst into flames, found out demons were real, told we were Satan's bastards, and then we were ordered to run, all the while being attacked by demons. We didn't know what was happening and we reacted. Badly."

"That's what you _always_ do," Yukio returned hotly, veins appearing on his forehead, his eyes bright. "You two never _think_! You should have listened to Father. _You should have run!_ "

"And I wish we had!" Kazuki shouted with so much feeling her voice cracked.

Because then their father would still be alive.

A silence followed her words, loud in its lack of sound. She blinked and a few tears escaped. She turned her head so her brothers wouldn't see them.

"We didn't kill him."

Rin's oddly quiet voice drew her attention. She slowly turned her head to see Rin looking determinedly at Yukio. He was still standing, his hands clench as he blinked away his own tears. "We were stupid," Rin admitted. "But we didn't kill father. Satan did."

Yukio blinked in surprise. "I-I never said you did."

"But you were thinking it." Rin always had a knack at pointing out the exceedingly obvious, maybe in a different situation she would have smiled. Yukio shuffled his feet uncomfortably and clenched his jaw. "I don't know what you're thinking about us," Rin went on. "But don't insult us by saying we killed the old man. It wasn't us."

"No, your other dad took care of that pretty well, didn't he?" Yukio spat darkly. Then he grimaced and gave them a pained look. "I… I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she forgave him, all the fight having gone out of her, leaving her drained.

Silence reigned between them. They stood, not meeting each other's eyes, blinking away tears so the others wouldn't see. Yukio slowly holstered his pistols, seeming embarrassed to that he had drawn them in the first place.

"Father's last moments," Yukio looked at them, his voice thick. "What were they like?"

Rin answered, a sad smile on his lips. "He was damn cool. He died protecting us."

"He even used a shotgun," Kazuki added. "Never knew the old man had it in him."

"There was a lot you two didn't know," Yukio told them softly.

"Were you ever afraid of us?" Rin asked. Kazuki wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Yukio let out a sigh and ran a weary hand over his face. "I… no." His shoulders slumped and he wouldn't look at them. "I was never afraid of you two. You're my older brother and sister, you'd never hurt me. But there were times…" he shook his head. "Dad never knew what would happen to you two. If you would grow into your powers or if you would stay human. He was scared. And I was too. Not of you, but _for_ you."

It lifted her heart to know that even being the spawn of Satan, their little brother still loved them, that he had never been afraid. Suddenly Yukio's disapproving looks after they had gotten into fights made sense. How he must have viewed their violent tendencies and what he feared they meant.

She reached out and pulled Yukio into a headlock, fondly ruffling his hair as he struggled against her hold. "Love you too, 'lil bro." A kick Yukio landed on the instep of her ankle caused her to let him go. He straightened and gave her a flat look, but the corners of his lips were slightly tilted up.

He gave Rin a gauging look, no doubt remembering the blue flames that had sprouted from him earlier. Rin met his gaze and nodded at him. Yukio nodded back. Kazuki snorted. "Boys," she muttered.

She gathered bravado she didn't truly possess and clapped them both on the shoulder. "Next time we have a family discussion, let's leave the flames and guns at home, agreed?" They both nodded and allowed her to guide them out of the classroom.

Things were far from fixed between them, but Kazuki hoped their talk today would get the ball rolling. They were a family. Maybe not a perfect family, but at the end of the day they all loved each other. They just needed help remembering it.

With a grimace, Kazuki recalled the information Yukio had helpfully provided them about their father's death. If she had felt guilty before… no, things were far from fixed. But in the coming days the three of them would have to work together to hide her and Rin's true heritage while continuing to cope with their father's death. Now more than ever they would have to draw strength from each other.

As they left the classroom, Kazuki looked behind her and tried but failed to find Mephisto. She was sure the mongrel had been present for the entirety of their talk—fight—and she would have noticed him opening the door and leaving. Frowning, she let the empty classroom be.

* * *

"So what did you think?"

Mephisto smirked in the phone. "Well, you seemed a bit stiff, but considering it was your first time teaching…"

"That's not what I meant," Yukio's replied, unamused.

Rolling his eyes at the boy's consistent lack of humor, the headmaster answered the original question. "Rin's display of power was impressive, but whether or not it will be useful still remains to be seen. He doesn't seem able to control it and is currently wielding it out of pure emotion."

Rin's blue flames were intriguing. They were Satan's flames and no offspring of Satan had inherited them until now. He had felt the power they had radiated, but he wouldn't know how useful they would be for a while. And considering the boy's current level of control, it was likely he wouldn't be useful for even longer.

"Your sister on the other hand…"

"She's always been the more levelheaded of the two," Yukio told him.

"Yes, it would seem that way," Mephisto agreed. Kazuki hadn't burst into flames, though he wondered if it were a result of her better control or if she was simply less powerful then her brother. Time would give him his answer. But there had been something else that had caught his eye today. "Tell me, when your sister does get angry, is Rin often with her?"

This question seemed to throw young Okumura. "Um… yeah, I guess. They were always getting into fights together, but she's gotten into some on her own." Mephisto could hear the suspicious frown coming from the other end of the phone. "Why?"

He grinned. "No reason." The boy didn't really expect him to answer, did he?

But what he had seen…it was quite possibly even more intriguing than Rin's blue flames. Twice she had made eye contact with her eldest brother when he was angry and twice Rin had calmed, his anger seeming to vanish…only to appear in his sister. It bespoke of a power far more useful but just as rare as Satan's flames.

The Okumura triplets had more secrets to uncover than he had expected. Mephisto found himself looking forward to the days to come.

* * *

I have thought really hard about how I wanted this chapter to go. I hate rehashing the same thing from the manga, so I decided to change it up. 1) I really hate Rin's instinctive need to create a scene. There is a reason Bon hated him from the beginning, and his outburst here was no doubt a contributor. 2) I could never get past Yukio saying that Rin should just die. That's harsh, especially from your brother. I feel like Yukio said it in anger, but he never apologized for it and in real life, words like those mess with your head long after they'd been said.

Insert Kazuki, and I had a way to change the two things I disliked. Maybe the siblings can walk away a little less scarred and without too much suspicion being pointed towards them.

Also, I had to stop myself from making Yukio's teaching part longer. I'm a Chemistry tutor at my university and I've been elbow-deep in the sciences for the past two months studying; needless to say, I was excited to see Chemistry/basic lab techniques actually apply in my writing for once. I hope to apply it more in the future, but I'll have to limit myself to what's actually relevant and what is me just having fun for the hell of it.

And _what_ could Mephisto possibly be alluding to? I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Please review! I love hearing feedback! I haven't had much of a chance to respond recently, so I'll be getting back to all of my reviewers soon!

X Cheerfully Blue


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